Strategies to enhance customer experience at brick-and-mortar stores

While the online shopping industry is thought to be rising and gaining popularity, it is important to remember that brick & mortar stores have a stronghold. Customers are demanding the same level of service from in-stores as they have experienced from online shopping.

We knew consumers preferred online shopping before the COVID-19 crisis because it provided a smooth and hassle-free experience. To fully realize the potential of the digital environment, retailers must evaluate the advantages of technology adopted by online stores and consider what consumers enjoy.

While many in-store retailers have been working to understand customer needs and function accordingly, successful interactions are helping them to prepare for consumer desires.

Physical stores nowadays must adhere to social distancing requirements, sanitizers, and temperature tests between several people in the shop. As a result, stores have had to reduce in-person shopping, and many retailers have had to close their doors.

It all coincides with what shoppers want and how they feel about brick-and-mortar shopping. The businesses that could customize the experiences of in-stores would be on the verge of succeeding.

Find out how to create certain experiences that are specifically tailored to different customers. 

Tips To Enhance Brick and Mortar Store Experiences

Clever Store Appearance Will Delight Consumers

Retailers must focus on less inconvenient store design, makes shopping enjoyable, and encourages consumers to return. By tailoring the store design to the needs of the consumer, the company will not only increase revenue but will also improve customer loyalty by better knowing what the customer wants.

Allow customers to see and touch the items, and provide them with comfortable seating at the store, among other things.

Altogether, concentrate on customer comfort and leisure and let the customers shop at their ease encouraging them for customer retention. 

Implement a Retail Queue Management System

Leveraging technology at the in-person stores could be of great benefit. Many retailers and other business verticals, such as healthcare, use a popular technology called a queue management system, which allows consumers to have their queue updates remotely, reduce waiting time, and without hassle.

Customers can relax where they want and wait for their turn without physically waiting in lines with QR code queue management. Customers may quickly check or keep an eye on what items or goods are sold by a particular retailer just by scanning the code. Only they would need to enter the store when it’s their turn to shop. 

Also, the queue management software informs the customers about their position in the queue and how long they will have to wait for their turn. This will indeed let them know their wait times and will be less likely to leave the services. Isn’t it great!

Overall, this would have a better experience for both consumers and retailers than any other method, which would cause customers to leave services and choose to visit a competitor.

Contactless Checkout System

Dealing with customer checkout is the greatest challenge of all for brick-and-mortar retail stores. The outside line and customer shouting get all the attention, but the slow checkout process is what irritates customers the most.

Incorporating the contactless and digital payment choices could be the best solution to dealing with checkout queues, ease customer frustration, and enable seamless payments. 

Depending on the choices provided by the retailers, such as UPI, Netbanking, Paypal, QR code scanning, and so on, shopping becomes simple and consumers are enticed by the digital touch.

Utilize Analytics to Boost Customer Flow

Since the COVID19 has affected consumer tastes, decisions, and attitudes, and using technology to evaluate all of these aspects may be useful in making real-time changes.

Retailers can gain a better understanding of what customers want from brick and mortar stores by using data analytics and analyzing consumer shopping patterns. 

Furthermore, such knowledge is critical in enhancing the customer experience by reminding them about store design improvements, product replacements, and much more. Overall, these updates ensure that as consumers return to shopping after the pandemic, they can feel healthy and valued.

Also, read – 5 ways to improve customer service

Host Events for Customer Engagement

Customers marketing your brand or spreading word of mouth are valuable than a satisfied customer. 

Customers can be engaged in several ways, but organizing events is the most effective of them all. Even several professional business owners agree that hosting event drives generate a higher return on investment than other methods. 

In-store promotions and programs generate a lot of traffic and improve the brand’s image in the region. However, retailers should not rely upon such events totally as local events, trade shows, and more are also worth considering.   

These methods are solely advantageous in improving brand exposure, creating a hassle-free atmosphere, and reaching as many consumers as possible.

Offering coupons, discounts, and prizes to unique customers, in addition to hosting events, may be another way of retaining customers and attracting new ones.

Customized Offers

Recognizing app users by retailers is now easy, and sending location-specific and real-time offers is beneficial. Such a solution enables the consumers to easily search the new offerings, deals, and interests while increasing their shopping cart size.

Customers are also pleased and delighted because they are comfortable and at ease when shopping and learning about particular items.

Wrapping Up

Due to social distancing norms and consumers focusing more on contactless interactions rather than visiting in-stores, times have become more difficult in this pandemic than ever, particularly for retailers. Of course, we are human beings, and shopping is a daily occurrence for them, so they will seek out stores that have facilities meeting their needs.

Hence, leveraging all the technologies or techniques by brick and mortar shops is essential to boost sales and offer an engaging consumer experience. Customers would be loyal and continuous engagement will be experienced if the brand is capable of adopting these strategies and pleasing customers.

These tips are basic to any store improvement. So, implement them soon and reap the benefits accordingly. Hope you achieve your business objectives and enhance the shopping experiences of your customers conveniently. Thanks for reading!!

 

Allen Daniel
Allen Danielhttps://qwaiting.com/
Allen Daniel is a Postgraduate in Literature from the National University of Singapore. She is currently working as a Content Head at Qwaiting, the leading Line management system. She enjoys writing blogs related to Technology, software/gadget reviews, and Marketing strategies for SMEs.
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